Alaska tourism industry expected to grow, cruise travel predictions high

The Seattle Port is predicting about a million cruise ship passengers to head to Alaska from Seattle Alone. With the cruise ship and summer seasons ahead, Alaska’s tourism industry is expected to grow another year.

The tourism industry in Anchorage saw up to five percent growth during the summer months in 2015, part of which cruise ships have played a factor, in Anchorage, and throughout the state.

“The cruise industry is a very critical component. We think we had about 2 million visitors to Alaska in 2015 and about half of those, a millon visitors, came up on cruise ships,” said Julie Saupe, President and CEO of Visit Anchorage.

The cruise ship industry opens the door for repeat travelers and future tourism.

“One thing cruise ships do that people don’t really think about is they give a traveler a first time Alaska experience and that person may decide ‘I really didn’t have enough time in Anchorage or I’ll have to go back and spend some time in Talkeetna,’so it’s a really good introductory trip to Alaska for a lot of folks, too,” said Saupe.

For every traveler who comes through Alaska, the economic benefits reach all sectors.

“I can tell you on average our visitor to Alaska spends about $941 per person and that money travels throughout the economy,” said Saupe.

The positive impact on Alaska’s economy is expected to continue, with predicted growth in Anchorage tourism alone this year.